


Love's Guiding Light

by GalaxyKitty



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Anal Sex, Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Feelings, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Hugs, M/M, No End Game Spoilers, Protective Thanatos, Smut, Thanatos is a softie, Thanatos wants to hold his prince and be warm, Zagreus has a nightmare, Zagreus needs a hug, all the kisses, he gonna get so many hugs, no major spoilers, soft, y'all its so soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-15 16:08:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28816101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GalaxyKitty/pseuds/GalaxyKitty
Summary: Thanatos knew the moment something had gone wrong with Zagreus.It had happened so suddenly, startlingly so, that Thanatos’ eyes had widened as his breath caught for a moment. He felt as Zagreus’ warmth abruptly disappeared from his senses, like a candle being extinguished by someone smothering the flame.-“Huh. I guess it did get to him more than he let on.”“What?” Thanatos asked, eyebrows furrowing. “What did?”“His dreams. Or I suppose nightmares.” Hypnos said, shoulders lifting in a shrugging motion.-A soft story where Zag has a difficult nightmare and Than gives him all the love and reassurances.(All chapters written and will be posted weekly)
Relationships: Thanatos/Zagreus (Hades Video Game)
Comments: 49
Kudos: 377





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!! I wanted to add a quick note to reassure anyone who is worried about spoilers that I do not mention anything about the end game, nor even mention who the final boss is. I do have the Elysium champions here and there may be tiny dialogue references and little things, but no major spoilers!!
> 
> I hope you all enjoy the story, and as I said in the summary, all four chapters are already written!! I'll post them probably each Sunday!!

Thanatos knew the moment something had gone wrong with Zagreus.

He was with the prince not too long ago, having met with him in one of the farther chambers of Asphodel. The two of them had cleared the room with practiced ease, having done so time and time again, and Thanatos had gifted the younger god a centaur heart afterwards as the prince accepted with a bright smile. From what Thanatos had seen, Zagreus was doing quite well during that run. The prince was a little scathed, a few red marks littering his skin which accompanied the blood the younger had tried to smear away, but he was otherwise unharmed. Thanatos could also feel the presence of the Olympian’s aid around the prince, their boons like a spirit intermingling with the prince’s own aura. If he concentrated enough, the God of Death could distinguish which one of the prince’s relatives had lent their assistance, with Athena’s formidable protection being the most prominent this time.

After Zagreus had thanked him, Thanatos had said his farewell before vanishing from the room. He had returned to his duties on the surface, following his routine without much trouble, and let out a small sigh when he finished his assignments for the time being. He would be able to take a small break before going out again.

Not a moment later, Thanatos had returned to the House of Hades, standing at the balcony that had slowly turned into his own personalized spot in the house. Zagreus had commissioned a table, chairs, and lounger all specifically for the God of Death himself, and Thanatos couldn’t say he wasn’t pleasantly surprised when he had returned to the spot one day to see the things there. He was content with standing, watching the River Styx as it flowed through the realm, but he had caught himself eyeing the lounger from time to time, at least a little tempted by the idea.

For now, he stayed on his feet, arms crossed as usual as he waited for Zagreus’ return. From how much time had passed since he saw the other last, Thanatos guessed the other was well into Elysium by now. He’s probably getting close to the champions as well, the younger god preparing to face them in battle once again. Thanatos hummed softly in thought, knowing how frustrated the prince would get sometimes after dealing with the duo. Thanatos looked to the balcony’s railing, remembering the time Zagreus had stood leaning against it as he told the older god all about the escape attempts that ended by the champions’ hands. The prince had his eyebrows furrowed, lips pursed as he complained about how unfair two against one was and how pretentious the “king” is. Zagreus had beaten the two of them before, though not that that made fighting them any easier when next he saw them, but the prince of the underworld waved his hand in the air as he talked about how the stadium’s king wouldn’t even acknowledge that Zagreus had beaten them before.

Though that memory was from what felt like long ago, Thanatos still smiled ever so slightly to himself at the thought of the prince. Even if he didn’t say so, Thanatos enjoyed listening to what Zagreus had to say, liked to be the one the prince would turn to when he wanted to explain a new tactic he had to escape or had a story about his most recent attempt he wanted to recount, and Than had a feeling the other knew as much.

Everything seemed to be fine as Thanatos stood patiently at the balcony, waiting for the other, and that is when he felt it.

It had happened so suddenly, startlingly so, that Thanatos’ eyes had widened as his breath caught for a moment. He felt as Zagreus’ warmth abruptly disappeared from his senses, like a candle being extinguished by someone smothering the flame.

Thanatos was never sure exactly how it happened, it seemed to come naturally on its own, but he was able to sense Zagreus’ presence, like the life force of the ever-lively prince himself, and he could tell when the prince had fallen and had to be taken back by the River Styx. He was the God of Death, Thanatos had reasoned to himself, so it made sense that he could tell when one had reached their end, but it was with Zagreus that he could tell when the prince was _alive_. It seemed to be the opposite of what the older god was so well-known for, yet the feeling was there nonetheless. It was like a subtle consciousness in the back of his mind, always there, brighter when the prince was standing next to him, but would flicker whenever the younger would get hurt, eventually fading away when someone landed the final blow against the prince. And then it would relight itself when Zagreus rose out of the river, seemingly just as determined to stay as the prince was to keep going. It confused Thanatos at first, unsure of what it meant, but he soon found comfort in the feeling, knowing it as a sign of the prince being okay when the older god was too busy on an assignment to check in on him. A reassurance that was always there.

Thanatos had gotten used to the feeling, recognizing the signs that indicated the prince was hurt, or struggling, and sometimes Than would prioritize those moments to appear to Zagreus in one of the chambers to have one of their friendly competitions. He would help the younger god, hoping his arrival would encourage the prince, even if just a little, and would feel more at peace when Zagreus would smile at him in the end.

He had gotten used to the feeling, but what happened just now was like nothing that had happened before. Usually, Zagreus would get hurt only little by little across each room, or he would struggle at one of the region’s final defenses, the bosses he could say, but Zagreus would still put up a fight. The presence in Thanatos’ mind would flicker, but stay strong-willed until the very end, just like the prince.

But this… this was sudden, and brutal, and alarming. As if Zagreus was just fine, and then he simply was gone. There was no fight, no struggle, just warmth, and then emptiness as the feeling vanished.

Thanatos knew something had happened. He didn’t know what, but something had to have happened. He felt as he held his breath, waiting, eyes staring ahead across the river with an unfocused gaze. He waited for the prince’s presence to return, the empty feeling only serving to unsettle the older god more as each second passed.

And then he heard the rushing of water as Zagreus emerged from the river in the great hall once again, and the light returned to the older god’s senses.

Thanatos let out his breath at that, shoulders dropping slightly, but that did little to ease his concerns. He turned his head in the direction of the pool Zagreus would end up in, though he was unable to see the other from where he stood. He frowned to himself, wanting to know what went wrong out there, what caused the prince to return in such a manner.

Zagreus was okay, right?

Thanatos’ fingers tapped against his crossed arms, still staring at the wall that separated him from the pool, and he let out a huff as he turned away from the balcony. He had to see the other.

He walked across the west hall on bare feet, seeing Achilles from the corner of his eye watching him pass. Thanatos knew it wasn’t usual to see him walking, as he usually hovered in the air if he didn’t outright disappear when he wanted to go somewhere. The prince’s instructor didn’t say a word, however, if he had taken notice of the God of Death doing so, and simply nodded his head as the god passed by in greeting, an acknowledgment. Thanatos had a brief thought about how he should try to be a little more social around the house, at least enough to say hello and check in on others rather than appearing directly to his spot on the balcony and vanishing the next moment when he was needed, but he decided that matter could wait. For now, there was something more important that needed his attention.

As he turned around the corner from the west hall, he first saw Hypnos in his usual station, legs crossed as he hovered over his own lounger. He had his back turned to Thanatos, looking to the Styx, and Thanatos did the same as he stood next to his brother.

There, at the steps of the pool, he saw Zagreus sitting up. Thanatos wasn’t close enough to see the exact details in the younger god’s face, but he could see how Zagreus’ eyes were widened in what looked somewhat like shock. His shoulders were rising and falling quickly, as though he were breathing heavily, and his eyes darted from his hands to the pool waters around his waist and then up at the great hall ahead of him. After realizing where he was, it seemed, he lowered his head and carefully stood up, making his way up the steps.

As the prince approached the two of them, Hypnos lifted the parchment paper that stated the prince’s most recent death, quill twirling side to side in his other hand.

“Ah, so those longspears got you again, did they?” Hypnos said in his usual spirited tone. “I warned you about the exalted warriors before; they’re tough ones. You have to make sure they don’t hit you next time.”

Zagreus gave him a small smile, hand raising to brush some of the hair out of his face as he answered.

“Yeah. Next time.”

His attention then turned to Thanatos, expression turning a little confused.

“Than.” The prince said, looking around for a moment to see if something else was going on, though finding nothing. “I don’t normally see you waiting here.”

“No.” Thanatos agreed, eyeing the prince in silence for another moment more. He had hoped that maybe Zagreus would mention what happened, even if it were just a small comment. A correction to Hypnos, something like “oh I tripped up before they got me”, anything to explain what occurred in Elysium. But Zagreus stayed silent, so Thanatos continued. “Something happened out there.”

As he said just that, Thanatos was able to catch split second of fear, the prince’s demeanor flinching and then easing up so quickly that Than hardly saw it happen. But it did happen.

“I-“ Zagreus faltered, eyes looking to the side. “I was caught off guard. That’s it. I… I’m fine.”

He gave Thanatos a small smile, the older god guessing he was trying to reassure him, but Thanatos could see through it.

“I think I’m going to rest a bit before heading out again.” Zagreus then added, already taking a step to the side in the direction of his chambers. “I’ll see you two later.”

Thanatos watched as the younger god left, not having anything to say, or rather he didn’t know what to say, and soon the prince disappeared from sight as he reached the hall to his room. Orpheus met the older god’s eyes for a second, having seen Zagreus walk by as well without so much as a nod. He and the prince were close friends, yet even if they weren’t, everyone knew how social the young prince always was with everyone. Even after his countless failed attempts to reach the surface, the prince would still make the rounds to check in on everyone.

“Huh.” It was Hypnos’ voice then, Thanatos turning to look back at him as his brother continued looking towards the prince’s chambers. “I guess it did get to him more than he let on.”

“What?” Thanatos asked, eyebrows furrowing. “What did?”

“His dreams. Or I suppose nightmares.” Hypnos said, shoulders lifting in a shrugging motion.

“He’s had nightmares?” Thanatos asked, and when his brother nodded, he continued. “About what?"

“Hey, you know dreams are personal.” Hypnos answered, crossing his arms as he leaned back in the air with a pout, though he didn’t look any more intimidating than before. “Whether they’re good dreams or not, I don’t go snooping around. You should know; you hated when I did it when we were kids, and that was on accident!”

Thanatos sighed at the memory, shaking his head lightly at the thought.

“But you know about the nightmares?”

“I’m aware he had them, yeah. But I don’t know what they were about.”

“I see.” Thanatos said, voice going a little quieter. Was that the cause?

“He seemed fine this morning, though! Evening? Afterwards, when he woke up.” Hypnos continued, going back to his usual posture. “Before he went out, he was telling me about how he was going to try to make it through Asphodel without getting hit. He told me he’s gone through Tartarus without a scratch before! I really think he’s been taking my advice to heart.” He looked to be a little proud of himself as he said so, though Thanatos resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

That did go along with what Thanatos saw when he met with Zagreus earlier, however. He remembered the prince’s warm smile, the gratitude on his face as he accepted the centaur heart, the confidence he had as he held Stygius, the tip of the blade resting on the ground as the prince waited until Thanatos inevitably had to return to his work.

Thanatos hadn’t noticed anything different during then.

His frown grew, but he didn’t know what else to do, not needing to stay at house any longer without Zagreus around either. He muttered to Hypnos about jobs needing to be done, and with a flash of light, he shifted away to return to work.

…

Thanatos tried not to let his mind wander as he moved on from one assignment to the next. He had hoped that work would distract him for at least a short while, to keep his thoughts away from the prince, but that proved to be unsuccessful. He worked methodically, hoping he could at least fall into some type of rhythm, that maybe time would go by faster than it felt. Maybe it had worked for a little while, but Thanatos could tell the moment Zagreus left the house for another escape attempt.

From that moment on, Thanatos couldn’t stop thinking about the other. Was Zagreus all right? Was this just a “bump in the road”, as the mortals say? Was last run truly just a slip up and nothing more? Were the nightmares really the cause? Were the nightmares _bad_? Bad enough to frighten the prince? He recalls how Zagreus flinched for that fraction of a second when he asked what happened. It had to be something. He’s never seen Zagreus do that before.

As he stood alone on the surface, having sent another mortal on their way, Thanatos thought about returning to the prince once more. He usually does not appear so soon after they already had one of their competitions, but he knew seeing the other again would be the only way to get his mind to calm down so he could focus again. There is nothing wrong with checking in on the other, he told himself, and lifted his scythe up as he prepared to depart. It was easy for Thanatos to locate the prince as he closed his eyes and focused his attention on the prince’s presence in his mind. He could also tell Mort was with Zagreus as well, knowing the small plush helped connect the two of them, regardless of how far Thanatos was from the prince.

With a single thought, Thanatos felt as he shifted away from the surface and back to the underworld, light swirling around him as he reappeared. The first thing he noticed was the high heat, letting him know he was in Asphodel, though it seemed to be one of the earlier rooms this time, and when he opened his eyes, he saw the prince standing a few feet away with his lips slightly parted in surprise.

“Hello, Zagreus.” He spun his scythe behind himself, holding it behind his back as usual as he tried to follow in his natural pose, expression neutral.

“Than.” The prince said, voice soft as though he was unbelieving at first. “You’re here.”

“I am.” He turned his head as he felt the underworld’s forces being summoned to the room, the floor lighting up with sigils. “Shall we?” He added, looking back over his shoulder to see Zagreus nod.

And then the fight began.

Zagreus darted off to one side of the room, so Thanatos looked out to the other side, marking one enemy after the next as his abilities turned each bloodless, wave maker, and numbskull to dust. He would look over towards Zagreus from time to time, checking to see how he was doing, and though the prince seemed to be taking care of his side of the room all right, he was most certainly fighting differently than usual. Thanatos could see how the swing of his sword was more hesitant, how he sidestepped out of the way more rather than dashing forward for the final strike, how his eyes seemed to dart from one enemy to the next, trying to keep all of them within his sight, as impossible as that was given how many there were.

Thanatos finished dealing with his half of the room first, his scythe spinning in one last circle as the final bloodless fell before him. He turned to Zagreus once more, seeing the prince had almost dealt with the remaining few left. Zagreus had casted one of his bloodstones to his right, the stone crippling one of the bloodless, and he had his attention set on the one directly in front of him, swinging his sword as his opponent staggered. Thanatos was going to leave the prince to it, letting him have the points to even out their scores, until he saw one of the bloodless further back, behind the prince and preparing to lunge towards him. Something told Thanatos he couldn’t let that happen now, alarmed at such a thought, and he quickly shifted to appear behind Zagreus. He swung his scythe just in time to block the sneaking bloodless’ attack, the sound clashing. Thanatos was able to pick up on the sound of breath quickly inhaling, knowing it was the prince behind him, and he quickly dispatched the skeletal foe.

As he turned around, Thanatos saw as Zagreus drove his sword into the last enemy that was still in front of him, marking the room finally clear as the opponent crumbled onto the ground. When he turned to face Thanatos, though, his shoulders were raised in apprehension, eyes wide as he looked to where the bloodless Thanatos had taken care of once was. When he looked back up to the older god, he seemed to realize what had happened.

“Oh…” Zagreus said quietly, lowering his sword as he let his muscles relax. “Thank you, Than.”

There was no smile, or silly joke about how he had it covered, and Thanatos’ expression softened, worry hiding in golden eyes. He lowered himself to the ground, wanting to be closer to eyelevel with the prince, and Zagreus hummed in quiet confusion.

Thanatos wanted to reach out to the other, to ask if there was anything he could do, anything to make the prince feel better. Something was going on in the prince’s head, something that was hiding his usually ever-present optimistic smile.

“Zagreus…” He spoke, but he was never good with words, and his voice went silent.

After another moment passed, Zagreus gave the older god a small smile.

“Thank you.” Zagreus said once more, leaning his weight slightly on his sword. He looked like he was doing okay, but Thanatos saw the tired look in his eyes, even if he was trying to hide it. “I should probably get going now, huh?” The prince chuckled softly, looking back to the rafts that would take him to the next chamber.

Thanatos felt his left hand fidget at his side, wanting to pull the younger god closer. Instead, he could only raise his hand, placing it on the prince’s bicep.

“Stay safe.”

The prince nodded in return, and though Thanatos did not want to, he let go of the prince’s arm as the other turned to leave. Thanatos stood in Asphodel, watching as the prince stepped onto the raft and continued on his way through the underworld.

It was the first time Zagreus was the one to leave the room first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!! I would love to hear what anyone thinks so far, comments really make my day and I love reading what people think, what their guess is to what might happen, if there was a part in the story they really liked. Brings a big ol' smile to my face. This is my first Hades story as well, so I'm hoping I wrote the characters well!! I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter, and chapter two will be up soon!!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your patience!! Second chapter here we go!!

Thanatos returned to work after leaving Asphodel.

He felt when Zagreus fell in battle, the older god closing his eyes as he leaned his forehead against the staff of his scythe. It would do him no good to continue worrying, though, and he moved on to the next assignment. Then on to the next. And the next.

He wasn’t keeping track of how long he had been on the surface, though he had gotten a little better at distinguishing between the times of day based on the position of the sun. Even though he still wasn’t a fan of the brightness regardless.

Thanatos worked until he felt as though he was caught up with his responsibilities. It was only then that he allowed himself to take a break as he fastened his scythe to rest against his back. He let himself focus his attention on the prince, wanting to know how the younger god was doing, but it didn’t seem like the prince was fighting. As Thanatos thought more about it, he realized he didn’t notice the prince ever leaving again on another escape attempt after returning from the run Thanatos had met him on. He must still be at the house.

With a hum, Thanatos pictured the House of Hades in his mind and let his abilities carry him back home. He appeared first by his mother’s side, wanting to greet her first as he returned for the time being. Mother Nyx nodded to him, welcoming him back, and the two exchanged short words. Afterwards, Thanatos drifted over to the main hall, finding his brother resting his head on his hand with his eyes half closed. Looking around, Thanatos noticed the house seemed a little quieter for now, so it seemed things were not as busy here.

As he approached Hypnos, his brother lifted his head, hand covering his mouth as he yawned, then leaned up a little more.

“Heya, Thanatos.”

“Hypnos.” He greeted in return, taking another glance around the hall. “It seems somewhat peaceful, right now.”

Hypnos perked up at that, smile widening.

“I know right! There haven’t been as many names showing up on my list, so I’ve had extra time for breaks!” He then leaned his cheek on his hand once more. “They can’t call me out for sleeping on the job if there isn’t anything for me to do on the job in the first place.”

Thanatos let out a huff as he crossed his arms. Of course Hypnos would try to find reasons to sleep without repercussion, but Thanatos had to give him credit this time. If there was nothing for Hypnos to do… well.

“Especially with Zagreus taking a break from his ‘ransacking’, as the others call it.” Hypnos continued, his eyes looking upwards in thought for a moment. “Though I guess it is kind of lonely without him walking on through all the time.”

“Zagreus is taking a break?” Thanatos knit his eyebrows together. That was unusual for the prince to do.

“Yep! If you can believe it.”

“Where is he now?”

“Sleeping!”

“He’s… what?” If believing the prince was taking a break was hard enough, then what is this?

“It’s exactly what I said! He’s asleep.”

“Is he…” Thanatos paused, unsure of how to word it, and he felt as a small frown formed on his lips. Thankfully Hypnos seemed to understand, his features softening.

“I haven’t noticed any disturbance from him yet. For now, he’s doing okay.”

“Ah.” Thanatos said quietly. His arms were still crossed, a pose he often favored to look more serious, but in this moment he pulled them closer to his chest, somewhat like a hug to himself. “Thank you.”

“He’s in his chambers if you want to see him.” Hypnos added, giving his brother a reassuring smile.

“I… thank you.” He repeated, then turned away, passing by his mother once more who gave him a small smile as well as he headed straight to the prince’s room.

He stopped once he reached the closed doors of Zagreus’ chambers, staring at the carved marking of the doors in silence for a moment. He gently set himself onto the floor as he raised his hand, preparing to knock. The he paused once more. He didn’t want to wake the prince, if he were asleep. Zagreus needed rest; he needed some peace right now.

This wouldn’t be the first time Thanatos would go into Zagreus’ room without a formal invitation. Of all the other times he had walked into the prince’s room when he had something to discuss, Zagreus had always greeted him with a wide smile, surprised to see the God of Death there, but always expressing how happy he was to see him. So Thanatos shifted the short distance to the other side of the door, being sure to be quiet as he silenced the usual toll of a bell that announced his arrival. He gently landed on the floor, eyes looking straight towards the bed, and sure enough, he saw the sleeping form of the prince lying on top of the covers.

Zagreus was lying on his side, legs bent and curled towards his chest slightly, and one arm was over the pillow his head was resting on. Thanatos took quiet steps over to stand next to the bed, looking closer at the prince to see his face, and the prince seemed to be at ease. His chest moved slightly with each breath, muscles relaxed, hair a little disheveled as it laid over his forehead, and Thanatos let himself smile softly at the sight.

He removed his scythe from his back and sword from his hip, setting them down by the wall gently, then he took off his gauntlet followed by his pauldron so he wouldn’t have it weighing on his shoulder. He then carefully lifted himself up, hovering over the edge of the prince’s bed, and slowly set himself down besides the younger god, legs crossed as he rested his hands in his lap. He felt a sense of contentment as he watched Zagreus sleep, his features serene as he slumbered. As much as Thanatos worried about him, it comforted him to see that Zagreus was getting some much deserved rest. Hypnos had said as well that so far he was having peaceful dreams.

Even if there was nothing much Thanatos could do, he still wanted to stay. To feel as though he could watch over the prince in what little way he could in this room.

So the God of Death stayed put. He kept track of the sleeping prince’s steady breaths, of the quiet, barely-there hums the other made as he nuzzled into his pillow more. Thanatos took note of how the prince slept without any blankets over him, the chthonic bedspread instead being used as cushioning to lay on top of. He knew the prince was always warm, however, if taking one look at the other’s glowing feet was anything to go by. And Thanatos had spent many long moments resting in the arms of the other, having experienced for himself the warmth the prince brought that always seemed to comfort the older god. He also knew his own body was a cool contrast to the prince’s, which is why he held back the urge he had to rest his hand against the other’s cheek, to brush the hair away from his forehead, to reach down and hold the other’s hand. He knew his cold touch might wake Zagreus up, so he kept to himself.

Eventually, Thanatos heard the faint strumming of a lyre through the chamber doors that led back out to the halls. He closed his eyes, letting himself listen to the tune Orpheus was playing, and felt the calm rest over him. He stayed long enough for Orpheus to finish the first tune he was playing, chords filling the air by themselves without any lyrics to go along with them. When the musician continued on to the next song, Thanatos opened his eyes, deciding he had been there long enough. He looked to Zagreus one last time, silently wishing him a nice rest for however long he remained asleep, and finally started to lift himself off of the bed.

It was a slightly more noticeable grumble that made him stop. He turned back to Zagreus, eyes looking back to his face, and he saw how the prince’s features suddenly looked more strained. Thanatos sat himself back on the bed, frowning lightly to himself, and his eyes darted to the prince’s hand still clutching the pillow as it trembled for a moment. He heard another low mutter, the prince’s face scrunching up more after each passing second, with one of his feet reflexively twitching.

“Zag…?” The older god said ever so softly, still unsure about waking the other up, but starting to feel concerned.

Zagreus’ hand tightened where it was grabbing onto the pillow and another whimper escaped his lips. His head turned more towards the pillow, hiding more of his face, and Thanatos watched as the younger god’s shoulders tensed up, eyebrows furrowing, lips being drawn tighter together.

Then Thanatos saw a tear form in the corner of Zagreus’ eye.

Thanatos’ lips parted in a silent gasp, the image of the younger god crying doing strange things to his heart, his stomach twisting up at the idea, and he quickly put a hand on the prince’s bare shoulder.

“Zagreus.” He said with more certainty, shaking the other’s shoulder lightly.

The prince then snapped his eyes open, looking startled as his whole body tensed up and slightly curled in on itself. He realized the hand on his shoulder a moment later and his head jerked to the side, looking up to see Than sitting beside him.

He stared at Thanatos with wide eyes, mouth open, though no words came out, and Thanatos was about to ask if he was alright, but the prince cut him off as rushed forwards.

The older god was caught off guard when the prince wrapped his arms around him, hiding his face against Thanatos’ shoulder. He held onto Than tightly, one hand clutching onto the other’s chiton, and he seemed to try to get as close to the other as possible. Thanatos carefully raised his arms up, one moving to rest behind the younger’s back, while the other hovered in the air hesitantly.

“Zagreus?” He asked quietly, turning his head to try to see the other better, though also not wanting to move too much. Then he felt a drop land on his shoulder, a little warmer than his skin, and then another.

Zagreus was quietly crying.

Thanatos tightened his hold around the younger god at that and his other hand finally moved to hold the prince’s head. He gently carded his fingers through the soft hair, murmuring quiet words.

“It’s all right.” Thanatos said barely louder than a whisper, hand continuing its cycle through the other’s hair in comfort. “I’m here.” He heard a sniffle in response and that was enough.

The two of them stayed like that, holding one another, and Orpheus’ song continued to play from the hall outside closed doors. Thanatos was grateful for the musician in that moment, knowing the sound was something for the other to focus on. His fingers were light against the prince, moving slowly, almost in time with the melody. Eventually Zagreus moved his head to rest his cheek against the older god’s shoulder, uncovering his face a little, though still looking down. Thanatos didn’t mind and simply moved his hand from the younger’s hair down to his neck, cradling it delicately as he let his thumb rub the nape of his neck lightly.

Zagreus’ right hand gradually moved from Thanatos’ back, replacing itself against the front of Than’s chest instead, holding the front of his chiton loosely. Thanatos leaned his cheek atop the other’s head for a while after that, the two of them finding what peace they could. Eventually, Zagreus’ breaths calmed down to a normal, easy pace, no longer interrupted by sniffles or shaky exhales. When he hummed lightly, Thanatos took that as a sign for him to lean back, moving his hands away, and the prince did the same, though only moving far enough to see the others face, hand still holding onto the other’s chest.

Thanatos saw how the prince’s eyes were still watery, though the tears had seemed to stop for now. He raised a hand to cup the prince’s cheek, thumb wiping at his tearstained skin, and the other leaned into his touch, eye closing on that side. Thanatos kept his hand in place there, lifting his other hand to clear away the other cheek, but then moved it to take ahold of the prince’s hand that was on his chest. He held the prince’s hand, moving it to rest between the two of them, and spoke softly.

“Feeling better?”

The prince took a deep breath, closing his other eye for a moment as though he was thinking about what had happened, then slowly opened both to look back up at him.

“Yeah.” He said, almost in a sigh. He leaned more into the older god’s hand, eyes then looking down, the prince obviously still in thought. “Than…”

He didn’t continue, staying silent instead, but Thanatos had an inkling about what the prince had wanted to say. Carefully, Thanatos leaned forward, tucking the prince’s head just enough so he could then press his lips against Zagreus’ forehead. He let the kiss linger, keeping the touch light, feeling the warmth against his cool lips, but he hoped it acted as a reassurance to the other. When he leaned back, he only moved far enough to then press his forehead against the other instead. He closed his eyes, knowing the prince did the same, and they breathed slowly.

“I’m here.” Thanatos said once more, and he felt Zagreus squeeze their held hands together lightly.

They listened to the end of another song, the strumming eventually slowing down to a stop, and then it all stayed silent as it seemed Orpheus had set down his lyre for the time being. 

Zagreus reached his free hand up, taking Than’s hand that was on his cheek, and the two of them parted once more. Their hands joined together to rest between their laps, side by side, and they looked into each other’s eyes. Thanatos felt a little better once he saw that the prince’s mismatched eyes looked a little brighter now, no longer filled with unease. Zagreus blinked up at him and the older god hummed softly.

“What do you wish to do?” Than asked, giving the other a moment to think.

Zagreus swayed their hands in their lap slightly; there was barely any movement, but felt all the same.

“Stay?” The other finally asked, and Thanatos gave him a small smile.

“Of course.”

…

Thanatos was seated at the head of Zagreus’ bed as he watched the prince pluck at his own lyre cradled in his lap. After calming down, Zagreus had asked if the older god wanted to watch him practice, and of course Thanatos agreed. He knew it would be better for the two of them to be together still, even if the initial panic from the nightmare had already passed. He knew Zagreus would feel better with the company.

So Zagreus had picked up his lyre from its stand and brought it over to the bed, sitting across from Thanatos, and held it in his lap as he played a few simple notes. He started talking about the lessons he’s had from Orpheus as he continued, occasionally tilting his head as he recalled some of his first attempts at playing a song. Thanatos listened attentively, humming in response, and couldn’t help a small chuckle when the prince raised his shoulders proudly when he talked about the day he impressed Orpheus with his progress. If anyone had told Thanatos before that the prince would be able to play any type of musical instrument without it sounding dreadful, he would have dismissed the idea entirely, but seeing Zagreus now, slowly but surely getting better after each lesson, was inspiring in a way. It probably also helped that Orpheus, the one musician who was able to move the entirety of the underworld itself with his songs, was his teacher.

Thanatos wanted to stay as long as he could. He wanted to be by Zagreus’ side at the heart of it, though additionally he was reminded about how the prince was always telling him he needed to take more breaks. Thanatos would always tell the younger god that his job didn’t provide time for such, having even added the comment that it wasn’t something that was seasonal. However, even he had to admit to himself that the time off the prince made him take, sometimes by forcefully dragging him away from the balcony, had helped him feel a little more relaxed. Maybe he had been working a little too hard these past few years… or decades... or however long it’s been.

He wanted to stay as long as he could, but he eventually felt the pull of his assignments urging him away. He wanted to try to plan something out, to try to fit everything into a schedule of sorts, that would allow him to get everything done without hassle while still spending time with the prince now, but of course the younger god noticed. He saw how Thanatos would look off to the side, eyes not focusing on anything in particular as he was deep in thought.

Zagreus had stopped fiddling with his lyre and set it down on the bed beside him, but Thanatos didn’t notice until the prince had moved to sit down next to him, one hand resting on the older god’s knee.

“You have to go?” Zagreus had guessed, though he was smiling softly in understanding.

Thanatos let out a sigh, eyes looking down at the hand on his knee, and he set his own hand over the other’s.

“Yes…”

Zagreus hummed in acknowledgement, Thanatos looking to the corner of his eyes for a moment to see the younger god nod his head, but he then kept his eyes trained on their hands resting together. He felt himself slipping into heavy thought again, planning out what to do next, what to say, how to leave, and then he felt a light press of something warm against his cheek. His eyes widened as he went still, only then realizing it was a kiss, and he felt as a blush began to rise on his cheek. He turned his head towards the other when Zagreus leaned back, seeing the other’s bright smile, and he tried to push away the embarrassment he was feeling. He couldn’t help but feel shy whenever Zagreus was the one who did something affectionate, as if Thanatos was having trouble believing they were together, that Zagreus liked him as much as he liked the prince back. He was still learning himself about what it meant to be with someone. 

“Go on, then.” Zagreus said, chuckling lightly. “You have people waiting for you.”

Thanatos blinked, his mind wanting to repeat the words back to the prince, to tell him how he is always waiting for Zagreus to return as well, _will_ always wait for him, but found difficulty in speaking his emotions to the other once more. Instead, he simply nodded, shuffling off of the bed as their hands were separated. He picked up his armor and weapons, putting everything in place as Zagreus watched him from his spot on the bed.

When finally everything was ready, Thanatos looked to the younger god once more, seeing that warm smile still there. Thanatos sighed as he turned his scythe in his hand, preparing to return to the surface once more, eyes closed.

“Thank you.”

He opened his eyes when he heard Zagreus speak, not expecting it, and the prince continued, looking softer.

“For being here.”

Thanatos returned a small smile back.

“Of course.” He said, lifting his scythe once more. “I’ll be back soon.”

With that, Thanatos shifted out of the room, disappearing as he returned to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for the kudos, gosh I didn't think I would get this far after chapter one!! I really appreciate it, thank you guys so much ;u;
> 
> This chapter I think is the shortest one, but chapter 3 has more sweet sweet comfort and chapter 4 is almost 9k words I think, chapter 4 is a big one. So worry not, there will be words to come!! Thank you so much for reading, I hope you are liking the story so far, feel free to leave a comment if you would like, I love reading them, and kudos are very appreciated and loved <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooo there are a few scenes in this chapter I'm proud of. Couple of softies these two are.

Thanatos was standing at the shore of one of the surface’s oceans, bare feet resting on the sand as he stared out at the waves slowly rising and receding. It was night, the ocean looking almost black as only small reflections from the stars glittered across the surface. He had a little time before his next assignment, so he was waiting there until then, but he had another thought. Staring out over the ocean’s horizon at different times of day, when the light would paint the water different colors, was something many mortals often spoke about. They seemed to enjoy doing so, drawing the scenery to hang up in their homes as well. Sometimes Thanatos would see one of the views the mortals spoke so highly of and wondered what it would be like to see it with Zagreus. There was a part of his mind that wanted to show everything he knew about the surface to the young god, to collect each precious moment they spent together and keep them close to his heart. Would the prince have that same look of awe in his eyes when he saw each scene? Would he gasp in surprise as he admired all the colors? Would he cherish those moments the same as Than knew he would himself? Would Zagreus reach out his hand to take Thanatos’ so they could walk side by side, together through it all?

Thanatos closed his eyes and shook his head at himself lightly. He was thinking too much about it.

He was considering going to see Zagreus, as it was precisely these small moments of spare time he had that he would visit the other in the middle of a run. However, as perfect timing went, it was at that moment he heard the other’s call echo in his mind, his body feeling the call as if it were second nature to him, simply part of his being. The voice was quiet, unlike how it usually was when Zagreus summoned him. Usually Zagreus would call out to him with confidence, sometimes quickly as though he was caught in the middle of an attack that required his full attention, sometimes his voice would raise in pitch at the end in slight worry when he was up against a difficult enemy or cornered against others. This time, though, it was soft-spoken, lacking the urgency of a fight. It almost sounded like a question.

_Than._

Thanatos sensed the other’s presence in his mind, consciously reaching out to it to see how the other was doing, and he felt its warmth in return. He then let the call lead him to the prince as he vanished from the surface, the wind swirling around him.

He opened his eyes when he felt the air still, seeing lush greens decorated with lighter colored flowers around him. He was in Elysium, then. As he recalled, this was the region Zagreus was in when he fell suddenly. However, though it was Elysium sure enough, there was not any type of encounter going on. In fact, Thanatos was summoned at the entrance of Elysium, the older god hovering near the precipice that overlooked the rest of the verdant region. There would be no warriors to fight the prince here, at least not until Zagreus stepped through the first gate. But that led to the question…

Turning his head, Thanatos saw the prince standing to his left, his red chiton, flame-like laurel, and bright feet standing out against the cooler colors of the domain. What caught the older god’s eye, however, was the small plush held in the prince’s hands. Zagreus was holding Mort, cradling the plush close to his chest, similar to a small hug, and he was looking at Thanatos with relief in his eyes.

“You’re here.”

The prince’s voice was small, as though he was surprised, as if there was a chance Thanatos wouldn’t have appeared, even with Mort in the other’s hands.

Thanatos glided over to the prince, landing on the grass in front of him, and he twirled his scythe slowly at his side, showing off a bit, before standing it on the ground and tilting his head as the hair in front of his face brushed to the side. He smiled lightly when that got a chuckle out of the prince, just as he was going for, but he spoke softly in return.

“Whenever you call for me, I will be by your side.”

Zagreus closed his eyes as he let out a steady breath, and Thanatos could see how much more at ease his posture looked at that. When Zagreus opened his eyes again, he was looking right to Thanatos, that familiar warmth in them when Than looked back, and the younger god’s lips curved upwards.

“I know it’s usually you who decides when to have one of our competitions, but…” Zagreus turned his head to look towards one of Elysium’s chamber doors. “How would you feel about having one now?”

Thanatos smirked in return, lifting his scythe up as he rose from the ground, ready to follow the other.

“I would feel most welcome to the idea.” He said in response, nodding when the prince looked back at him.

Thanatos watched as Zagreus delicately tucked Mort away, ever so carefully, and Than felt a loving sense of warmth in his chest at the precious sight. Then, Zagreus reached his hand out as he flicked his wrist and Stygius appeared in rush of flames, the light flashing and dying out in a quick second as the sword was summoned to him.

“Let’s get to it, then.” Zagreus said, looking back at the other, then headed towards the chamber door on the right with Thanatos following only one pace behind.

Their competition started and ended in a matter of moments, the duo taking out each new exalted almost as quickly as they appeared. Thanatos found amusement at the sight of Zagreus chasing the exalted’s souls around in the room, but the God of Death was still able to beat the prince by one point. The last enemy was a soul catcher, and as it was summoned into the room, Zagreus had pouted at it and looked between all the butterflies as he muttered under his breath about how he could never catch a break from the butterfly balls. Zagreus had tilted his head to the side in a jokingly-bothered manner, shoulders slumping in a way that Thanatos knew meant he was preparing to complain about it. He was far enough away from the soul catcher to not be in immediate danger, which was why he stood so casually in its presence, but right as the prince had drawn in a breath to speak out loud to the older god, Thanatos had swung his scythe in the direction of the soul catcher, claiming it with death’s mark. Zagreus only had a moment to realize what had happened, eyes widening, and he lifted his sword uselessly, knowing he wouldn’t make it in time even if he tried as the soul catcher fell by death’s hand.

Zagreus stared at the empty space where the butterfly ball had been, then the tip of his blade hit the ground once more with a thud.

“I would’ve gotten that one.” Zagreus grumbled, turning to face the older god who was hovering near him, arms crossed with a subtle smirk.

“Call that payback for all the kills you’ve stolen from me.” Thanatos responded, and he chuckled quietly when Zagreus didn’t have anything to say back, the prince knowingly guilty of doing just that.

The two of them moved to the end of the chamber together, though they stopped once they reached the doors. Zagreus had to continue on by himself from here.

The prince turned to face the older god, looking a little crestfallen to have to leave him, but there also seemed to be a small glimpse of peace in his eyes.

“I’ll get you next time.” Zagreus said quietly, a small smile on his lips, though Thanatos was able to understand the unspoken “ _thank you_ ” in his voice.

“I’m sure you will.” Thanatos replied, returning the look.

He felt the urge to reach out to Zagreus again, wanting to comfort him. He always hesitated more when they were outside the house, unsure of himself. This time, though, he pushed his hesitance aside, wanting to at least do something, and he reached out his hand. Zagreus still had his sword out, his hand resting on the hilt as he leaned slightly against it, and Thanatos put his hand over the other’s. Zagreus looked down at their hands, lips parting in surprise, then his eyes turned back to the other.

“Keep going.” Thanatos said, squeezing the younger god’s hand under his grip gently, hoping to reassure him.

Zagreus blinked at him, then looked back down at their hands. He then lifted up his other hand, putting it over Than’s, and he nodded with a small look of encouragement.

Even though it was only their hands touching, Thanatos still felt the warmth keenly. He always did, whenever he was with the prince. Whenever they brushed shoulders while they walked together to the lounge, or when Zagreus put his hand on his arm with a wide smile as he told the older god about his day, or during those few precious moments where they laid together on the prince’s bed, cuddled up and relaxed. Thanatos always longed to spend more time like that, wrapped up in the other’s arms, warmth surrounding him like a blanket. The presence in his mind would feel stronger when they were together as well, feeling a mixture of comfort and fondness and _safe_. He wanted more of those moments, though was too shy to voice it aloud. At least for now.

He gave Zagreus’ hand one last tight hold, then disappeared with a flash of wings behind him.

…

Thanatos was standing at the balcony when he heard the rushing of water from the Styx’s pool. Although it was soft, he was able to pick up on the sound of footsteps padding across the floor. There was Hypnos’ optimistic voice, saying something about poison and satyrs, then the thumping of a tail hitting the floor as one of Cerberus’ heads made a welcoming rumble. He heard when Achilles greeted the prince, the mentor speaking softly as he always does. Then the sound of footsteps returned as they gradually got closer. Than continued looking out over the River Styx, hearing as the footsteps stopped to his left, then a hand grabbed his own. He finally turned his head to look at the prince, seeing the younger god standing right beside him, and Zagreus smiled softly as he reached up his other hand to cup his cheek and tilt their foreheads down to rest them together.

“Hi, Than.”

It was a very gentle greeting, and the older god hummed lightly as he brushed their noses together.

“Hello, Zag.”

The two of them leaned back and Zagreus dropped his hand from Than’s cheek, though he still held the older god’s hand in his other.

“Do you have some spare time?” Zagreus then asked quietly, looking up at golden eyes as Thanatos tilted his head slightly in question. “I wish to talk, and… I want to be with you.”

“Are you all right?” Thanatos asked, thumb brushing against the other’s hand.

“Yeah.” Zagreus said, stepping forward then to lean his forehead down on Than’s shoulder. “I’ve just been worrying a lot lately, and I thought I could figure it out on my own, that I would get over it with time and go back to normal, I didn’t need to worry anyone with it, but…” He chuckled softly against the other’s chest. “That hasn’t worked out so far. You’ve always been reasonable, though, and seem to always know what the best thing to do is in any situation. And…” He lifted his head back up, his mismatched eyes meeting the other's once more. “We’re together, so I thought if there was anyone I could talk to, it would be you.”

Thanatos was surprised, feeling a mixture of emotions in his chest, but he responded almost immediately, wanting to reassure his partner.

“Of course you can, Zagreus.” He said, voice going quieter. “I care about you.”

He knew “care” was an understatement of all the feelings he held for the prince, but the prince smiled in return.

“I know. Thank you. Can we…” Zagreus turned his head to look down the hall, and Thanatos understood he wanted to go back to his room.

He nodded his head and Zagreus did the same, then the two of them started walking down the hall. Zagreus kept their hands together, leading the way, and Achilles nodded to the two of them as they walked by. Thanatos tried to hide his blush, feeling his shyness rising again, but the prince’s mentor gave him a kind smile. He gave a small nod in return, then the two continued on their way.

Once they made it back to the prince’s chambers, Zagreus carefully pushed open the doors, leading the two of them inside as Thanatos closed the doors behind them. Zagreus went straight for the bed, taking off his armor and belt to set them down at the end of his bed. He then sat himself down in the middle and turned his head to look at Thanatos expectantly.

Thanatos walked over to the wall to do as he’s done before and removed his own set of heavy armor and weapons. He joined the other on the bed once he was done, following the prince’s gestures for him to lay down, though propped up against the pillows. As soon as he was in place, Zagreus scooted close, pressing himself against Thanatos’ side as he wrapped an arm around his stomach and laid his head on Than’s shoulder. Thanatos instinctively wrapped his own arms around the other, holding him closely, and he slipped one hand under the prince’s chiton to brush against his back gently. Zagreus hummed softly at that and closed his eyes.

Thanatos continued his movements as he thought quietly to himself, knowing Zagreus would speak up when he was ready. While he waiting, he let himself relax with the prince’s presence against him, warming him up and bringing him peace.

Zagreus’ hand traced patterns on the older god’s chest for a little while, but eventually he took a deep breath, sighing against the other as he turned his head a little to look up.

“I had a nightmare.” Zagreus started, speaking lowly.

There was a pause as Zagreus thought to himself, most likely trying to figure out how to word his feelings, and Thanatos patiently waited as he continued to rub the younger god’s back.

“A few of them, I guess. But they weren’t really bad. Not until the more recent one.”

Another pause. Another deep breath.

“I was going through the underworld, trying to reach the surface as always.” Zagreus then started, explaining what happened in the dream. “But of course something got me. I didn’t see what it was, everything was mostly dark shapes rather than recognizable enemies. But then… then the River Styx was there to take me back to the house… the water swirling around at my feet…” He paused, eyebrows furrowing together, and he held onto Than’s side more tightly. “And the hands reached up, grabbing me on all sides. They yanked me down into the water by my ankles, one grabbed my elbow as they pulled me backwards. Usually the trip back to the house is quick, like being swept down the river and emerging before I even realized it had happened, but… but this time they kept grabbing me, more and more hands. They wrapped around my stomach, my chest, held my throat, covered one of my eyes. They were like chains, and I tried to struggle, but more and more of the hands kept appearing, kept dragging me down until I could barely move. At first I could see light above me, like the surface of the river, like the way back home, but as I was pulled down, it kept getting darker and darker… farther and farther away.”

Zagreus’ breath started to shake a little, Thanatos frowning at the sight. He wanted to say something, but he knew Zagreus needed to finish his story, he needed to explain what happened. With a steadying breath, the prince continued.

“I tried to reach out, to call to someone, but there was no sound. I couldn’t move, couldn’t find any way, and eventually everything went black. I think… I think I ended up getting lost down there…”

“Zagreus.” Thanatos finally said, feeling as the prince tensed up against him, but the prince shook his head.

“When I woke up, I remember feeling panicked, though I realized I was in my room and calmed down. I didn’t know what to do at first, but I reasoned with myself that it was just a dream, it wasn’t real. I’ve been taken back by the Styx time and time again without anything happening. It would be fine. So I decided to go on another run to get my mind off of it and get myself to realize that the Styx doesn’t work like that. But then when I got to Elysium… I was up against the exalted, watching them dash all around me like the usually do. They dash and swing their weapons at me, but that time… that time one of them grabbed me. They grabbed my arm and tried to pull me towards them and- and they’ve never done that before.” Zagreus’ voice started to raise, though it was partly due to confusion. “They’ve never grabbed me before, and this was a longspear too! Their whole deal is that they swing from afar with their long spear, it’s in the name. But this one grabbed me, pulled me to the side, and I saw the hand on my arm and…”

That was the run when Zagreus had fallen suddenly, the day that worried Thanatos because he had disappeared from his senses so quickly. It had felt like Zagreus didn’t put up a fight, but then that’s what happened. The exalted had grabbed him, catching him off guard, scaring him, and he didn’t know how to react. He froze, and the exalted got him, then and there.

“When I returned, you were there waiting for me.” Zagreus continued. “You knew something had happened, but I… I didn’t know what to say, didn’t want to say that a nightmare was getting to me.”

“Zagreus.” Thanatos said again, and this time the prince listened and looked up at him. Thanatos frowned, mind unsure of what to say first, and tightened his arms around him. “Zagreus.” He repeated, and frowned more, this time at himself and his lack of words. “Whatever you’re thinking- you…” He let out a low hum to himself. “Don’t. Whatever it is. Zagreus, I would _never_ think down on you because of something like this- because of anything- you know I care about you, that I want you to be safe. I-“ He paused again, different words running through his mind, though he didn’t know which one would be able to express how he felt.

“Thanatos…” The prince looked up at him, eyes filled with unshed tears.

Than took a steady breath of his own, then, letting himself calm down and think more slowly. He moved his hand from the prince’s back to cup his cheek instead, repositioning himself so he was face to face with the prince.

“Zagreus.” He repeated once more, though this time it was spoken softly. “I will never let that happen. I will always find you. No matter what happens, no matter where you are, I will be there for you. I will not let you get lost.”

Zagreus made a small sound, lips parting just barely. Thanatos lifted his hand, letting the back of his fingers brush over the younger god’s forehead, then over his temple, his cheek, under his jaw. He gradually moved his hand down until he reached Zagreus’ chiton, where he then placed his hand over the spot where he knew Mort was tucked under. He pressed his hand there lightly as he looked down at the spot.

“And you have Mort with you, for you to call me whenever you need to, so I can be by your side.” He then looked back up at the mismatched eyes as his thoughts brushed against the light in the back of his mind. The prince’s presence was there, warm and soothing and bright. It always helped guide Thanatos, and now it reassured him that Zagreus was here, _Zagreus was safe._ “However…” Thanatos continued, and Zagreus blinked at him, eyebrows raised slightly. “Sometimes I wonder… if you may not need Mort anymore for me to hear your call.”

“Than…” The prince murmured softly, but didn’t ask about it any further.

Zagreus then closed his eyes, ducking his head back down to rest under Than’s chin, and he returned to his earlier position of hugging the older god. Thanatos did the same, returning his hand back to rub the prince’s back softly.

“Thank you, Than.” Zagreus murmured, hiding his face. “For everything. For today… and the day before, and everything else you do for me. For being here.” He let out a gentle huff of air, though Thanatos could tell he was smiling. “I like being with you, Than. I… it’s hard to think of the words to express how much I mean that. It always feels like every word I know isn’t good enough to explain how I feel.”

That got a chuckle out of Thanatos, who brought his hand up to ruffle the younger god’s hair lightly.

“I know what you mean.” Thanatos said in response, pressing a quick kiss on top of the other’s head.

“You do, do you?” There was a similar soft laugh in return, though the prince didn’t lift his head up to look at the other. “Having trouble with words?”

“What can I say? I’ve fallen for someone who is simply indescribable.”

That got Zagreus to finally look back up, the teary look in his eyes now replaced with fondness. He raised one of his hands to hold under Than’s chin, then carefully tilted the older god’s head down so he could press their lips together in a kiss.

Thanatos still had his hand in the other’s hair, so he brushed his fingers through the strands until he was able to rest it behind the younger god’s ear, then returned the kiss. It was slow, and soft, and gave Thanatos that same feeling of warmth as it always did. Of _home_. Of feeling that he was where he had always belonged.

When their lips parted, they barely moved away, still staying close enough for their lips to brush against one another. The touch was light, but it still gave a pleasant tingle across each ghost of a kiss.

“Me too.” Zagreus finally murmured against him, leaning in to place another peck against his lips.

After some more rearranging, Zagreus ended up lying almost completely over Thanatos, head resting in the center of the older god’s chest as he fell asleep. Not that Thanatos minded, of course. He was quite happy to have the prince with him. He stayed awake as he brushed his hand through the prince’s hair, watching how the ever-soft fluffs of hair would card through his fingers. The presence in the back of his mind hummed with warmth as well, letting a sense of comfort wash over him. 

When the prince next awoke, he lifted his head, one eye closed as the other slowly blinked open. When he saw Thanatos, he smiled warmly and couldn’t hold back a chuckle as he said his good morning, already looking a little more cheerful like he always was before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost done!! One chapter to go, which as I said before, ch. 4 is a lot lot longer. If you're enjoying the story, please feel free to leave a comment; they're super sweet!! And kudos are also super appreciated and make me feel like I'm doin' something right with this story.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter here it is!! :D

Thanatos had his eyes closed, mind lost in thought as he stood in his usual spot in the house as always, and was almost startled when he heard the sound of water rising and falling like a wave crashing against the shore. It was Zagreus, he knew, having sensed his return, but it seemed this time the prince was leaving the Styx rather quickly.

Hypnos greeted the other, as always. A bright _“you’re back!”_ filled the air before settling down into something quieter. Achilles’ gentle voice was next, as expected, but there was only a simple greeting, and the sound of footsteps never paused to signal the prince had stopped to talk to him.

In fact-

“Than! Than!”

The God of Death turned his head just in time to see the prince nearly jump at him. He grabbed both of Thanatos’ hands, bringing them up between their chests, and he shook them happily.

“I have to tell you what happened!”

Zagreus was smiling brightly, eyes alight with excitement. It surprised Thanatos, the older god not expecting to see the prince like this. It had been a few days since the two of them had discussed the nightmare, and Thanatos made sure to reassure the prince and comfort him in any way he knew how. Zagreus had gone out and done a few runs since then, still a little hesitant from time to time, but he was doing better. Thanatos could see the improvement. And then there is now.

“What is it?” Thanatos asked, one eyebrow raised, though it relieved him immensely to see the prince looking like his old self again.

“I was in Elysium, surrounded by strongbows, you know, and they’re bad on their own, but even worse when they’re in groups. I was standing in the middle of the chamber with one of them in each direction I looked, ready to fling their arrows at me, and I knew I had to act quickly. So I thought back to my lessons with Achilles and- oh!” Zagreus paused then, head quickly turning to where his mentor was standing, then without any other warning, quickly pulled Thanatos along as he bounded over to the other.

“Achilles, sir, you have to hear this too!” Zagreus then continued happily.

He was still holding onto one of Than’s hands tightly, not letting go as he started recounting his story once more, and Thanatos felt himself instinctively ducking his head a little under his hood. He also couldn’t help but smile lightly, though. It was nice, to be able to do this, to be with his partner so openly, even if he was still getting used to the idea. And Zagreus always liked to take him by the hand like he was now, or sit shoulder to shoulder when they were in the lounge, sometimes resting his head on the older god’s shoulder. He always looked so happy to be with Thanatos, enough so to make the older god wonder if he was proud of it. That brought back some of Thanatos’ own memories, knowing he had felt the same about Zagreus. The prince had told him what Hermes said near the beginning of their relationship, as apparently Thanatos had smiled when talking about Zagreus to the Olympian god, and Hermes was, of course, delighted to let Zagreus know of that, since he had never seen the God of Death do that before.

Zagreus would switch between looking at Thanatos and Achilles as he told his story, his smile never once leaving his face. Achilles would nod from time to time as he listened, occasionally adding small comments about what Zagreus had done well.

“And then, finally the last enemy was one of those butterfly balls.” Zagreus said near the end of his tale, making a face as he made his dislike of the soul catchers clear. “Bothersome as they are, they move pretty slowly. So I had an idea, stood in the line of fire of one of those crossbow traps, waited for the butterfly ball to get closer, and then watch as it fell victim to the trap instead of me!” Zagreus finished, looking proud of himself. “And that is how I made a mockery of all those strongbows and led a butterfly ball to its doom.”

“Well, that’s quite the story indeed, lad.” Achilles said, giving the prince a kind smile. “I knew you would learn how to use those rooms to your advantage. I might even say your mind is as sharp as your sword.”

“Oh, if there is anyone who knows how to be resourceful in a fight, then it would be you.” Zagreus said back, though he still looked happy for the compliment nonetheless.

“You shouldn’t underestimate your own skills.” Thanatos decided to add anyway, causing the other two to turn to him for a moment before Achilles nodded in agreement.

Zagreus looked between him and Achilles, realizing that neither one would let him deflect the compliment, and he let out a sigh in defeat, though his small smile returned afterwards.

“All right, two against one, I get it.” The prince said, turning first to Achilles. “Though without your lessons, I don’t think I could have gotten as far as I have.” He then looked to Thanatos, still standing beside him with their hands interlocked. “And your encouragement.”

Thanatos had intended to nod, not thinking anything else would happen, but his movement was cut short when Zagreus stepped forward and pressed their lips together. Thanatos felt his eyes widen, going still as the other smiled into the kiss before stepping back once more, and he knew there would be a golden blush decorating his cheeks.

Than’s eyes quickly darted to the side to Achilles, but the prince’s mentor was chuckling softly, giving the two of them both a kindhearted smile. A memory resurfaced in his mind then, of the time he and Achilles spoke. The two of them were both in the west hall, Thanatos waiting for Zagreus’ return as always, when the mentor had stepped up to the God of Death and asked for a moment of his time. _”Zagreus told me about your relationship with him”_ he had started, causing the god to go silent, unsure of what to say. But Achilles gave off such a gentle presence and spoke honestly. _”You make him happy.”_ Thanatos parted his lips in surprise, but still didn’t know what to say. It didn’t seem to bother the mentor one bit, however, and he continued. _”If I may be so forward, I do not know you as familiarly, but even so, I believe I can say I’ve noticed that he makes you happy as well.”_ Thanatos had spoken up quietly then, saying that it was true, that Zagreus does, and Achilles looked glad. _”You two are good for one another. It makes me happy to see that the young lad has someone who cares for him like you do. And in turn, I know he will do all he can to look after you as well.”_

As unexpected as that was, Thanatos was grateful that it had happened. Achilles’ words helped quell the doubts that he had sometimes, wondering if he was good enough for Zagreus. He was grateful to Achilles, for both looking after the prince himself, and for his own wisdom and reassurances he brought with his words, whether he was too humble to accept the praise or not.

He was brought back from his memories when Zagreus tugged on his hand lightly and started talking about how he wished they could’ve seen it. Thanatos managed to say quietly that maybe one day they could, but then gave in to the urge to hide under his hood more, hoping the golden coloration on his cheeks wasn’t too visible.

…

It had been a few days since Thanatos had time to see Zagreus again. It seemed this week was particularly unlucky for the mortals on the surface and Thanatos had his hands full. Of course, as soon as he felt the call of his assignments lessen and he realized he could finally take a break from work, he closed his eyes and focused on Zagreus. He sensed that the prince was closer to the surface than usual, guessing he was in the last few chambers of Elysium, and let the rest of his instincts take over as he was taken away from the surface.

Sure enough, when he opened his eyes, he found himself in Elysium. There were already a few brightswords and splitters in the room, though it seemed the fight had just begun, and he heard a cheerful _“Than!”_ come from his right. With that, Thanatos swung his scythe in front of himself and joined the fight. It didn’t take long, and watching Zagreus, it looked like the prince was doing a lot better as well. He had a confident smile as he swung his sword against one of the exalted, twisting his body to the side just in time to block one of the spiltters’ attacks.

When the fight was over, Zagreus had immediately turned to find Than, his eyes shining brightly as he walked up to the older god. Thanatos held out a centaur heart to him, commenting about how the prince only won because he had a head start, but Zagreus’ smile only grew wider in response. The prince added a joke about how the one time he would’ve liked to see strongbows so he could show off to Thanatos was the time when those enemies didn’t show up. Thanatos gave him a huff, shaking his head as he muttered about next time, and the prince agreed before his expression then softened. He stepped close enough to Thanatos to rest a hand on his chest and then spoke softly.

“I missed you.”

Thanatos hummed lightly, bringing his own hand up to rest over the prince’s on his chest.

“I wasn’t gone for that long.” He said, but he had missed Zagreus all the same.

“I know.” Zagreus continued, lifting one foot to tap his toes against the grass as an idle movement. “But I still wanted to be with you.”

Thanatos nodded, his own expression matching the other’s.

“If you have the chance…” Zagreus then said, voice going even quieter, though he looked at the older god with hope shining in his eyes. “Would you like to spend some time together afterwards in my room?”

Thanatos knew what this question was asking, could see it in the way Zagreus was looking at him, how he was standing a touch closer than usual, hand warm against his chest.

“I would like that.” Thanatos answered, feeling a pleasant glow in his chest at the sight of Zagreus lighting up at his response, smile wide and eyes shining with excitement. “But only under one condition.” Thanatos then added, holding back a chuckle as the prince pursed his lips, making a child-like pout. “You’re not allowed to go and get yourself hurt on purpose.”

Zagreus narrowed his eyes at that and grumbled to himself.

“But that’s how I could’ve returned home sooner.”

“I know, but you need to have some patience.” Thanatos said, raising an eyebrow at the other.

“Fine.” Zagreus sighed, shaking his head lightly, but when he looked back at the older god, he had his small smile back. “But that means you’ll have to wait too.”

“I am aware. Maybe I can prepare something while I do so.”

Zagreus’ eyes widened at that, lips parting, and Thanatos could tell his excitement was starting to return once more. He stepped back as he turned to the gate leading to the next room, already looking eager to get back to his run.

“Well, then, I better get going. I won’t do anything dumb on purpose, like you said, but that doesn’t mean I can’t try to go quickly.”

Before he left, however, he turned to the God of Death once more and wrapped his arms around his shoulders. Thanatos was still hovering slightly above the ground, so Zagreus pulled him down just enough to reach his lips as he pressed a kiss against him.

“See you at home.” Zagreus said fondly, stepping back and finally turning away to continue to the next room.

“See you at home, Zag.” Than replied, watching the other leave for a second more, then shifted back to the House of Hades.

…

Just as he had told the prince, Thanatos had fully intended to do something while he waited for Zagreus to return to the house. To disrobe, and fetch the oil from wherever the prince had left it last, and plan out what they could do, or anything really.

However, as he shifted into the prince’s room, mind already thinking about what to start with first, he stopped as soon as he saw the prince’s bed. It was cluttered from top to bottom with books, journals, and papers with scribbled handwriting. Some books were piled on top of one another, others were left open on a specific page, some bookmarked with loose notes. There were also maps of the various regions of the underworld, or whatever could be closest to a map of the areas and their ever-changing rooms. It could honestly be a little impressive if it wasn’t so disheveled and messy looking. There wasn’t even a place for Thanatos to sit, even if he wanted to.

Thanatos let out a long sigh, rubbing his forehead at the sight as he had to think of a new plan. The two of them couldn’t use the bed in this state, and though Than did contemplate over the idea of cleaning the bed off himself, he didn’t want to mess with whatever system Zagreus had with his research. Even if it looked messy to him, Zagreus might’ve had things in a certain order, or wanted to leave something open, or is following some structure that makes sense in the prince’s mind.

In the end, Thanatos decided he didn’t want to move anything, not really wanting to clean the prince’s room anyway, and there wasn’t anywhere for him to move the books and such to either. So, after taking off the bulkier parts of his outfit and setting down his weapons, he ended up hovering at one end of the table that held Zagreus’ board game to pass the time. He never really payed attention to it before, but there wasn’t much else to do in the room without Zagreus. He leaned over as he inspected the board, picking up each piece as he turned it in his hand before setting it back down. There were a few cards spread out on one end along with other little game pieces, and it was interesting enough to look at and try to guess how everything worked. However, he was grateful when he felt the shift in his mind telling him Zagreus was finally returning home.

He turned away from the table and set his feet down on the floor as he listened carefully for the prince’s footsteps. He couldn’t really hear much beyond the closed doors of the chambers, but he knew Zagreus would be arriving shortly.

And soon enough, Thanatos heard someone shuffling right behind the doors, pausing for a moment, before one of the doors was carefully pushed open. Since Thanatos was to the right of the room, he couldn’t see when Zagreus first stepped inside, but he heard when the door was closed and saw Zagreus carefully peak his head from around the corner.

“Than?” He asked carefully, eyebrows knitting together in slightly confusion as he looked around the room. “I thought you were going to…?”

“Originally, yes.” Thanatos decided to say and stepped over to stand next to the prince. “But then-“ He gestured to the bed.

“Oh!” It was as if Zagreus just noticed, as if he didn’t see anything wrong with the bed at first. “Oh, right, yeah, I forgot about that.” He then added, looking a little embarrassed. “I’m sorry, I’ve doing a little research lately, wanting to see if I can think of a better way of making it to the surface, or come up with a new plan, or something. And I didn’t have anywhere to put all this stuff. Didn’t want to put them on the floor because, you know.” He then lifted up one of his feet. “Not everything in the underworld is flameproof. Books and notes being some of those things.”

Thanatos huffed, raising an eyebrow at the other, and the prince shook his head while chuckling.

“All right, all right, let me just…”

Zagreus walked over to the wall where Thanatos had his equipment resting and took off his own armor as well until he was also down to his simple chiton and leggings. Then, returning to stand next to the bed, he looked around as he mumbled to himself, trying to figure out what to do with everything. He hummed, turning his head to the other side of the room, and then-

“Oh!” Zagreus suddenly brightened up and quickly walked across the room.

Thanatos watched as Zagreus flopped down on the blue lounger in his room, arms spread out and head hitting the pillow.

“What about here?” Zagreus then said, turning his head to see Than’s reaction. The older god didn’t move and simply gave the other a curious look, blinking slowly. Zagreus then took a second to flip himself over before propping his head up on his elbow and bending a knee up. He tried his best to look serious for only a few seconds before he started chuckling at himself and his arm fell, leaving him to lay his head down as well. “What? You don’t think I look charming like this?”

Thanatos finally sighed, closing his eyes for a moment before walking across the room himself. As he stopped at the side of the lounger, Zagreus was looking up at him with a playful smile, waiting for a response. Thanatos stood silently for a short while, but his expression eventually softened as he leaned down to kiss the prince’s smile. Zagreus chuckled softly under him, eyes blinking open when the older god leaned back.

“You look beautiful regardless of where you are.” Thanatos spoke softly and honestly, and the prince gasped quietly at the words. “But…” Thanatos then leaned back all the way, inspecting the lounger. “Are you sure there is room for the both of us?”

“Yeah.” Zagreus answered back, smile returning, and he positioned himself to lie flat on his back as he reached his arms out towards the older god. “We’ll just have to stay close to one another, which I don’t think either of us is opposed to doing. Come here.”

Thanatos let out a quiet hum, but gave in and carefully lifted himself up to join the prince on the lounger. He first put his knees on either side of the prince’s legs, then leaned forward until he could rest his arms around Zagreus’ head to hold himself up. Zagreus graced him with a warm smile, looking pleased, then he quickly reached his hands up to push Than’s hood down, hold the back of his head, and bring him in for a kiss.

Thanatos let his eyes close as he pressed against the prince’s lips in return, sighing happily at the warmth. Zagreus’ hands that held his head brought pleasant tingles where they touched, and Thanatos wanted to press against the prince more to feel more of his body, chasing after the heat. Their clothes were still in the way, so it wouldn’t accomplish much, but he told himself to have some patience. He kissed against the corner of the prince’s mouth, starting softly, but in return the prince tilted his head and licked along his bottom lip.

If Thanatos thought Zagreus’ lips were always warm against him, it was nothing in comparison to his tongue. Thanatos could never last long when Zagreus decided to use his tongue against him, and it was something the prince had figured out early on. Thanatos pressed their lips together once more, the feeling of the other licking along his lips returning, and he gave in as he parted his lips. Zagreus hummed graciously, then slipped his tongue inside, and Thanatos felt his arm slip just a little bit as he leaned into the feeling.

Zagreus’ right hand slowly slid down to caress Than’s cheek, covering the golden blush on the older god, and deepened the kiss. Than felt his breath stutter, feeling the warmth as their tongues brushed. Thanatos tried to speak, but his lips barely moved, and instead only a wanting sigh came out. The hand against his cheek started to move, gentle fingers sliding down to trace against his jaw, and Than finally leaned back. He blinked his eyes halfway open, staring down at the prince below him with lips slightly parted still. Zagreus gave him a small smile, fingers trailing down to his chin before moving his hand away. Thanatos caught his hand before it went too far, however, and brought it back to his lips to press a soft kiss against the back of his fingers. Zagreus smiled more at the sight, and Thanatos released his hand before leaning forward to press another soft kiss against the prince’s forehead. When he next moved down to kiss the corner of the prince’s eye, he heard a gentle giggle as Zagreus closed that eye, his own cheeks starting to tint slightly. Thanatos continued down the prince’s face, placing a trail of kisses along his cheek and reaching the bottom of his jaw before he then moved to place one under the prince’s ear. Zagreus tilted his head back slightly and Thanatos took the chance to press another kiss under the start of the prince’s jaw. He let his lips linger, brushing them slightly against the skin, then spoke in a soft hum.

“I adore you.”

Zagreus turned his head back to see the older god, hand returning to cup Than’s cheek, thumb brushing against him.

“I know.” The prince said, a slight chuckle to his voice, then his expression softened as his eyes shone with his own admiration for the older god. “You are very beautiful.”

Thanatos felt his shy nature return and he ducked his head under the prince’s chin to hide his face. There was another chuckle in response, then a hand returned to his hair, fingers combing through the strands slowly. Thanatos closed his eyes and let himself relax into the feeling, calming down a little. He remembers teasing Zagreus about how he was like Cerberus and always wanted to be pet, but when Thanatos was on the receiving end of it, he almost melted at the touch himself. Especially because the prince’s touch was always so warm, it was almost troubling how quickly the feeling made Thanatos want to doze off. He wanted that to be the last thing he felt before falling asleep and the first thing when he wakes up.

“Your hair is very soft.” Zagreus murmured, fingers playing with the end of the silver strands before moving back to the top to brush through them again. Thanatos couldn’t stop himself from leaning into the touch. “Have you ever thought about growing it out again?”

Thanatos lifted his head up a little to see the prince’s face, giving him a slightly curious look. Zagreus’ fingers moved to his ear, following the motion of tucking hair behind the other’s ear, but the short strands fell in front of the older god’s face regardless.

“I liked it.” Zagreus said, sounding fond, and Thanatos hummed quietly.

“I know. But you also know it used to get in my way.”

“There are things we can do to keep it out of the way.” Zagreus added with a light giggle. “I would love to braid your hair someday. If it’s this soft now, I can’t imagine how ethereal it’ll be when you let it grow out naturally. I never got the chance to do this when you had your long hair back then.” Zagreus said, hand continuing its brushes through the silver locks.

Thanatos blinked down at the other. He knew Zagreus liked his hair, as it wasn’t the first time they talked about it and far from the first time Zagreus had found peace in running his fingers through the older god’s hair, but the prince never mentioned wanting to braid it before, never mentioned how he was sad about missing his chance. Had the prince thought about doing that when they were younger, back when he had his longer hair? Had this been something he’s been missing all this time?

“So?” Zagreus added, eyes shining, and he leaned forward to peck the other’s lips. Thanatos closed his eyes, letting out a short sigh.

“I will think about it.” He said, opening his eyes to see the prince looking at him with a mixture of hope and adoration. Zagreus then returned his hand to the back of Than’s head to bring him down for another proper kiss. There was another swipe of his tongue, another moment of parted lips and gentle breaths. Then Zagreus made a pleasant hum, though it also sounded like he had a new thought come to mind, and Thanatos reluctantly pulled back from their kisses to let him speak.

“I taste nectar.” The prince said, looking almost inquisitive. Thanatos hummed lightly, not sure where Zagreus was going with the statement, and the prince raised an eyebrow at the god above him. “You’ve been sampling the bottles I give you, huh?”

Thanatos squinted at him, the urge to hide his face coming back, but he didn’t want to do so again, so instead he let the blush form on his cheeks as he did his best not to look embarrassed. He didn’t really understand why this was something he was embarrassed about either; there’s nothing wrong with appreciating a nice bottle of nectar. But it was also a gift from Zagreus, a gift the prince had given him at the start of their relationship, before they were even together, and still continuing even after making it official. A gift Zagreus gave him to show that he cared.

Zagreus gave him a warm smile and pulled the older god in closer to brush their noses together. It was a soft gesture and Thanatos felt himself calm down a little.

“You know, for as stern and serious as you are in public with everyone else, you are incredibly soft in bed.”

“Zagreus.” Thanatos pulled back then, glaring at the prince, but Zagreus chuckled warmly and ruffled the older god’s hair slightly.

“Oh, don’t worry Than, I won’t tell anyone.” The prince smiled. “This’ll be something just for me to know.”

Thanatos did stay pulled back for another moment, still frowning lightly at the prince, but he quickly let his expression soften as he let out a sigh. He muttered a quiet _“fine”_ , then returned to collecting more kisses from the prince, wanting to discover the taste of the other’s lips for himself as well.

Thanatos then moved his legs slightly, settling them down more as he let his body rest more against the one below him, and when their hips met, he heard the prince’s breath hitch against his lips for a second. They still had their clothes, but Thanatos pressed his hips down slowly but firmly, feeling the prince’s hand in his hair tighten in response as Zagreus pushed his hips up against him lightly, as though testing the waters. Thanatos repeated the motion, adding more force behind it, and Zagreus did the same. They fell into the cycle, rolling their hips against one another, though Thanatos intentionally kept it slow. Zagreus whined softly in protest, one of his legs wanting to bend to get more leverage, but he was trapped between Than’s two knees holding his legs together. The prince mumbled the older god’s name between kisses, wanting him to do something more, though Thanatos only chuckled lightly.

When Zagreus realized that none of his protests would get him anywhere, he started pawing at Thanatos’ chiton instead, hoping he could at least get their clothes off. At that, Thanatos finally leaned back, sitting up all the way, however that also meant he would sit right on the prince’s hips, pressing against the front of his leggings. Zagreus’ head fell back against the pillow behind himself, hips bucking up at the contact, but didn’t get very far as Than’s weight held him down. The prince let out another protest in the form of the older god’s name, but Thanatos didn’t move any further. Instead, Thanatos slowly brought his hands to his chiton and carefully started to remove it, taking his time and making a show of revealing his bare chest. Zagreus watched in silence, eyes following each of the older god’s slow movements, and soon Thanatos was left in only his leggings as he dropped his chiton on the floor, fabric falling from his fingers.

“Isn’t this what you wanted?” Thanatos asked, a subtle smirk on his lips.

“Tease.” Zagreus huffed back, but his tone showed he wasn’t upset. Not at all.

Thanatos took a moment to appreciate the look of the other god lying under him, cheeks colored a soft red, mismatched eyes looking up at him with longing, chest moving with each deep breath as the prince tried to hang onto what remaining composure he had left. The prince was truly a wondrous, enticing sight. However, Thanatos did decide to ease up on his teasing, knowing he didn’t want to wait too much longer either, and carefully swung his leg over to unseat himself from the prince’s lap and step onto the floor.

“Why don’t you get to undressing yourself while I get the oil.” Than said, turning once he saw Zagreus sit up with a nod, hands already getting to work on his clothes.

Ignoring the mess on the bed, Thanatos looked around for their glass bottle of oil they kept for just these occasions, though it always seemed to end up in a different spot each time they used it. It took him a few seconds, but Thanatos eventually found it in the back corner of the middle shelf of the bookcase behind Zagreus’ bed. He picked it up, grabbing one of the small clean hand cloths that were thankfully still in the same spot stacked on the top shelf, and stepped back to return to Zagreus.

The prince’s chiton was now on the floor next to Than’s, and Thanatos had turned just in time to see the other lying back on the lounger with his legs bent, trying to slip off his leggings. Thanatos huffed lightly at the scene, then continued making his way across the room to sit at the foot of the lounger. He set the bottle and cloth to the side, being careful not to knock them over, and returned his attention to the prince before him. Zagreus reached down to finally pull the rest of his leggings off, kicking them off to the side to join the rest of their clothes, then sat back on his elbows, watching the other expectantly. When Thanatos didn’t move, Zagreus lifted up his right foot, playfully poking Thanatos’ hip where his own leggings were covering.

“Well?” Zagreus hummed, giving Than another poke with his toes. “Aren’t you going to join me?”

Thanatos made a low sound in thought, as if this was something he needed time to consider, and Zagreus tried to poke him again. Than caught his ankle before he could do so, though, and he then carefully lifted the prince’s foot up so he could lean down and place a kiss against the side. Zagreus blinked in surprise, and the corner of Than’s lip curved up slightly.

“Doesn’t that hurt?” Zagreus asked, a hint of worry in his voice.

Although Zagreus’ feet were obviously hot, Thanatos knew the prince had some sense of control over them. Zagreus knew not to burn the older god, knew that they would be close to one another, so he could do his best to keep them under control, which he was doing just as well. That, and Thanatos was a god himself. He wasn’t as affected by temperatures as mortals were, and a brief flash of a memory appeared in his mind of watching some of those mortals themselves hopping across the bright sand of a beach one sunny day, one of them squeaking about the sand burning at the touch of it.

The prince’s feet were hot, but Zagreus would never hurt him.

“I would be ashamed if I were bested by feet.” Thanatos answered, slight smirk growing a little more as he pressed another kiss higher up, near the prince’s ankle. It felt more like a spark of heat against his lips, leaving a pleasant tingle behind.

“Well, then-“ The prince lifted up his other foot and tried to pull down Than’s leggings on the other side with it.

“Eager, I see.” Thanatos teased, but released the other’s foot so he could lean back and remove the rest of his own clothing.

“For you, always.” Zagreus said back, giving the other a toothy smile.

Thanatos hummed in response, an _“Is that so?”_ , in the tone. He slipped out of his clothes, dropping it to the side, leaving the two of them both bare on the lounger. He then reached over to grab the bottle of oil, opening it carefully, and turned it over to let some of the oil drizzle slowly onto the fingers of his right hand. He rubbed his fingers together, then looked back to the prince. Zagreus had propped his left leg up, knee bent, and Thanatos knocked the prince’s knee with the back of his wrist, prompting him to move his leg out farther. The prince complied, and Thanatos settled himself between Zagreus’ legs, hand reaching down. Thanatos rubbed one finger against the prince’s entrance, eyes looking up to the other, and when he saw the prince nod, he carefully pressed the digit inside.

He heard Zagreus let out a breath, and the younger god laid back for a moment, eyes looking to the ceiling. Thanatos pressed his finger slowly further and murmured soft reassurances. He was still holding the glass bottle in his other hand, and went to set it down so he could hold the prince with his other hand, but Zagreus reached out to the bottle instead with a warm smile. The bottle was handed to him and the prince poured some of the oil onto his own hand.

“C’mere.” Zagreus said, making a motion for Than to come closer.

Thanatos needed a moment to find a position that wouldn’t hinder his other hand and ended up sitting over the prince’s right leg. As soon as he was settled, Zagreus reached his hand down to take the older god’s cock in hand, fingers wrapping around the length and giving an experimental stroke. Thanatos’ breath hitched at the contact, feeling the contrast of the cooler oil and the prince’s warm hand, and he leaned forward slightly. Zagreus’ hand then moved back to the base of Than’s length, giving it a gentle squeeze, before sliding his hand down to the tip, only to repeat the motion again. Thanatos closed his eyes, hips bucking into the other’s touch, and he had to remind himself of what he was supposed to be doing as he nudged a second finger alongside the first between the prince’s legs. They both made a soft sound as their hands moved together, both preparing one another for what’s to come next.

They were still moving slowly, but Thanatos could tell their patience wouldn’t last much longer. Zagreus’ cock was already flushed and starting to leak onto his stomach, both from Than’s fingers and watching the older god slowly lose his composure above him. Thanatos’ own length was heavy in the other’s hand, and once the prince had thoroughly coated it in oil, he started paying special attention to the head. His hand wrapped around the top, thumb brushing over the tip, and Thanatos moaned quietly as he felt his cock twitch, pre leaking onto the prince’s fingers. Unlike mortals, the color was more clear, though there was a hint of the same golden color that resided in ichor, the blood of gods. Zagreus was pleased with the reaction, letting his hand rub more of that pleasure out of the other. Thanatos breathed out Zagreus’ name, feeling the warmth in his stomach growing, and he glanced over to his hand to guide in the third finger, wanting to speed things along. He had to reach out with his other hand to grab Zagreus’ wrist, keeping it still for a moment when he felt himself getting closer to the edge. Zagreus understood, and when his hand was released once more, he kept his touch lighter, letting his fingers brush the underside of the older god’s cock rather than circling his hand around it.

“Zag…” The older god murmured the word quietly, eyes looking to the other in question, and the other nodded.

“Yeah. Yeah, you can…”

Thanatos returned the nod and carefully leaned back, moving off of the other’s leg, and he slowly pulled his fingers out. He reached over to grab the hand cloth he brought with him, wiping his hand off, and folded it before handing it to Zag to do the same. He sat back on his heels as he watched Zagreus then took the bottle and cloth and rolled over to place the items on the floor. He waited for the prince to then flip over once more, but instead watched as Zagreus grabbed one of the pillows to hold, lifted his hips up, propped by his knees, and turned his head to rest his cheek on the pillow as he looked back at Thanatos.

“Is this all right?”

Thanatos nodded. It was more than all right, though he only murmured a breathy _”yeah”_ before he lifted himself up on his knees as well. Zagreus did his best to keep an eye on Thanatos as he moved, not able to see too much over his shoulder. Thanatos first placed his hands on the prince’s hips, rubbing his sides in a soothing manner, and he got a soft hum in response. The older god let his hands wander for a moment, one holding the prince’s hips while the other trailed across his back, finger tracing invisible patterns. However, his desire soon became too strong for him to ignore, and he settled himself once more between the prince’s legs.

“Okay.” He said softly, meeting the prince’s green eye looking back at him. He guided himself to the prince’s entrance, feeling as the tip nudged against it, and he took a steadying breath before pushing the head of his cock inside. He let out a low moan at the feeling, hearing the prince do the same, then carefully continued to press himself further inside. He would pull back every so often before returning with a slow thrust, his cock reaching further each time. Zagreus eventually ducked his head down, pressing his forehead against the pillow he was holding, and he leaned his chest down to lift his hips up further, urging Thanatos on. With that, Thanatos shifted his legs so he could lean forward himself, draping himself over the prince’s back, then as he held the prince’s hips in place, he added a more forceful thrust, feeling his cock slide all the way in as the prince moaned beneath him. Thanatos laid his forehead down against the prince’s back, between his shoulder blades, and let himself bask in the heat of being inside the other, wanting to move, yet stay put at the same time. When the prince tried to roll his hips back against the other, Thanatos took that as his cue to move and slowly pulled his hips back before thrusting back in, hearing a soft gasp from underneath him. He pulled back again, then pushed in a little harder, hearing another breath, then repeated the motion again, adding a little more force, a little more speed each time.

Soon, Zagreus’ breaths turned into pants and moans at each thrust, mouth left open as the sounds came out. Thanatos had his own shaky breaths, and eventually he closed his eyes as he focused more on his movements, wanting to find the best angle, chasing his own pleasure, but wanting Zagreus to have his own as well. He muttered the prince’s name as he kissed between the prince’s shoulders, then gave an exceptionally deep thrust, snapping his hips forward, as the prince let out a surprised gasp before asking for more. Thanatos pressed another kiss against the prince’s skin, whispering reassurances, quiet _”It’s okay”_ and _”I’m going to take care of you”_. He was able to catch the small movement of Zagreus nodding his head against the pillow, and Than loosened the grip of his right hand to rub the prince’s side.

On his next thrust, Zagreus pushed his hips back, meeting the older god half way, and they soon started to lose any sense of rhythm they had as they each seeked their pleasure. Zagreus muttered praises between each motion, though his breath would hitch between words, thrusts cutting off his sentences.

“Yes- _hah-_ like that, feels good- _nnh-_ Than, Than, _gods_ , you feel so good- _ah!_ \- so deep.”

Thanatos could tell when he started getting close himself, feeling his cock twitch inside the other as the heat in his stomach only grew more. He curved his back, spread their legs a little wider, pulled Zagreus’ hips closer to him, wanting to drive his cock in as deep as he could, to hear the prince’s lust-filled noises. He was close, they both were. Just a bit longer-

And then he was startled out of it when both of their left legs slid off the side of the lounger. Luckily, they were able to catch themselves, not falling off completely, but they were now half on the lounger, half holding themselves up from the floor. Zagreus moved his right leg back, lying down flat on the lounger now, and Thanatos was about to ask if he was okay, but the prince turned his head to look back once more, eye shining with need, and he moved his hips lightly.

“Don’t stop. Please.”

That was all Thanatos needed to then lay himself back over the prince, using his foot on the floor as leverage in this new position, and continued his moving his hips in his quickened pace. Zagreus kept his face to the side on the pillow this time, and Thanatos could see his expression slack in pleasure, though his hands were gripping onto the pillow tightly. Thanatos then slid a hand underneath the prince’s stomach, grasping the prince’s cock, and stroked it in time with each thrust.

“Tha- _ah!_ \- Than, ‘m gonna- _aah!_ \- close.”

“I know.” Thanatos murmured, pressing a kiss behind the other’s ear. “Me too.”

Their bodies rocked together, their breaths faltering, small moans and whines escaping at each slide of their bodies meeting. Thanatos’ felt as the prince’s cock leaked under his hand, his hand collecting the slickness as he used it to help each stroke of his hand. The prince started to tremble under him, and Thanatos started to rub the head of the prince’s cock just as the prince had done before to him. Zagreus reflexively bucked his hips forward, then relaxed once more as he mewled.

“Than.”

“It’s okay.” Than soothed him, placing soft kisses against him as they both neared completion. “I have you.”

“Than- _aahh!_ ”

Zagreus’ words were cut off as his hips jerked and he came with an unrestrained moan. Thanatos rubbed him through it, feeling the prince’s cock throb in his hand, then the prince clenched around him. Thanatos felt his own hips start to stutter at the sensations, and he drove his cock in as far as he could. Zagreus called out his name softly, encouragingly, one of his hands reaching back to hold Than’s hand on his hip, and Thanatos shuddered as his hips humped against the other, unable to get any closer. Then he felt his cock pulse inside the other as he finally followed the prince over the edge. His hips continued their small circles as he released inside the other, and Zagreus’ hand held tightly onto his own.

They stayed close together, both of them breathing heavily as they rode out their pleasure. Zagreus eventually laid slack against the lounger, hand loosening his grip as it fell to the side, and Thanatos had enough thought to make sure he didn’t fall over the other as he carefully slipped out of the prince and laid pressed against the prince’s side. Thanatos let one of his hands rub Zagreus’ back as they calmed down, basking in the bliss that came after. Zagreus mumbled something, but his face was still pressed against the pillow, and the sound was incomprehensible. Thanatos had a guess, however, and gently pressed a kiss against the prince’s shoulder before disappearing for a moment, shifting to a washroom to wet a towel with warm water, then returned to sit at the foot of the lounger.

Zagreus was still lying with one leg hanging off the lounger, so Thanatos had to grab his knee to urge him to turn over on his back. The prince did so with a grumble, lazily flipping over, though when he blinked up at the older god, he looked happy, giving the other such a soft look. Thanatos had to move the prince’s legs as he cleaned up, wiping the cloth between his cheeks, then over his stomach. Zagreus giggled slightly at the touch, but otherwise stayed still, watching the older god with that same look. Thanatos finished cleaning himself up then, adding the towel to the pile of their belongings on the floor, then looked back to the prince lying before him. A thought crossed the older god’s mind for a second, knowing the two of them had the stamina to go again, but that wasn’t what he really wanted to do right now.

Right now, Thanatos crawled over Zagreus and carefully rested his head on the prince’s chest, wrapping his arms around the younger god as their legs tangled together. Zagreus immediately held the older god in his arms as well, pulling him close, and Thanatos closed his eyes. Zagreus was so warm. _So warm._ One of Zagreus’ hands started to rub his back in gentle circles, and Thanatos let out a contented hum, feeling his chest rumble. It almost reminded him of a purr. If he remembered correctly, however, cats were very fond of lying underneath the sun and falling asleep. And right now, Thanatos could think of nothing better than falling asleep in Zagreus’ arms like this. He nuzzled his cheek lightly against the prince’s chest, and before he could think much about it, he spoke aloud.

“You are warm.”

He heard the prince chuckle, the hand rubbing his back never slowing, then there was a kiss on top of his head.

“And you are cool.”

Thanatos hummed in question, head tilting up a little as he peeked an eye open to see the prince’s face, and was met with a warm smile.

“Calming.” Zagreus then continued. “Like when I find one of the fountain chambers in the middle of one of my escapes. It’s nice.” He smiled more. “Really nice.”

Thanatos responded with another hum, too tired to really think about the words, and closed his eye once more, letting his mind drift off. He was distantly aware of when one of the prince’s hands moved to comb through his hair, felt when the prince changed their position slightly to get more comfortable, and almost missed when Zagreus spoke up once more. His voice was softer, sounding more like he was speaking to himself, possibly thinking Than was asleep.

“You make me feel complete.” The prince spoke quietly. “Whole.”

Thanatos blinked his eyes open at that, willing his mind to focus as he lifted his head up enough to get a good look at the other. Zagreus looked a bit surprised, confirming Than’s suspicion of the other thinking he was asleep, but the older god wanted to get rid of any worries the prince had and leaned up far enough to press a kiss against the prince’s lips. The touch was soft, and the two of them stayed still, neither wanting to pull apart, and they breathed the same air for a few seconds more. Thanatos reluctantly pulled away so he could speak, looking into mismatched eyes.

“I will always be by your side.” He answered back, voice just as quiet. “If… you will have me for as long.”

Zagreus didn’t hesitate to tighten his hold on the older god, almost squishing the two of them together, though neither seemed to mind.

“Forever.” Zagreus said, voice confident, yet full of what Thanatos could only describe as love. He smiled softly at the prince, ignoring the tear that wanted to form in his eye, and answered back.

“Forever.” 

…

Thanatos had just finished up another assignment on the surface when he heard Zagreus call for him. He mused to himself about lucky timing, then let himself shift over to the prince’s location. The first thing he registered was the sound of voices filling the air with cheers and chants, and as his eyes blinked open to the new area, he saw that they were in the Elysium stadium. His first instinct was to prepare for a fight, mind already thinking about where he should summon his, as Zagreus calls it, “purple circle of death”, but then he realized the fight hadn’t actually begun yet.

Theseus and Asterius were standing across from the prince, holding their spear and axe respectively, but they weren’t moving. It took Thanatos another second to realize he was, in fact, called before the fight started, then another second to see Theseus staring at him with wide eyes, and then another to see Zagreus looking at him with a smirk.

Oh.

“What?!” Theseus blurted out, shoulders raising in surprise. “What is he- no!” Theseus took a step forward, glaring at Zagreus. “This is some type of trick! You monstrous fiend must have Death trapped under one of your wicked tricks! There is no way a noble god such as himself would help _you!_ ”

Zagreus only grinned wider at that, turning to Thanatos then with bright eyes, and Thanatos understood what was happening now.

“I take it you don’t actually need my help with this?” Thanatos asked quietly to the prince, getting a nod in return, and he sighed softly, though couldn’t hold back the small chuckle. He was hovering in the air, a little higher up than Zagreus, so he leaned down to press a kiss against the prince’s lips in front of everyone.

He heard surprise in the crowd, though some of the shades started to cheer, and then there was Theseus’ bewildered gasp. Asterius didn’t seem nearly as surprised, simply giving the two of them a nod. Thanatos glanced over at the two champions, taking in their reactions for a second, then turned back to the prince.

“See you at home?” He asked, and the prince smiled.

“See you at home.”

And if Theseus lost horrendously that day, mouth left agape, unbelieving and too flustered to put up a real fight, then that was his own fault.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long hair Than gang where you at?  
> I wrote this story before I got the dialogue for it and boy oh boy you can bet I drew Thanatos with long hair; [here's the link to my drawings](https://galaxykitty42.tumblr.com/post/642496287710887936/long-hair-thanatos-because-a-long-hair-thanatos-is)  
> Thank you guys so much for reading!! You made it to the last chapter!! I hope you guys all liked it!! Kudos make me a lot happier than I want to admit, and as always, you are very welcome to leave a comment if you would like to say anything!! I have a lot of other ideas for these two, lots of soft ones, though I'm also busy with college, but I do want to write more if I ever find the time. Thank you again for reading!! ^^


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